Does Article II of the Constitution Grant the President Power to Fire Anyone in the Executive Branch?

In this episode, legal scholars Michael Ramsey and Jed Shugerman the Supreme Court’s recent decisions in Trump v. Slaughter and Trump v. Cook, which address the president’s authority to remove members of the executive branch. They trace the history of presidential removal power from the founding era through the Court’s 1935 landmark Humphrey’s Executor decision to the present day and explore what Slaughter and Cook may mean for the future of executive power. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates. 

Resources 

Trump v. Cook (2026) 

Trump v. Slaughter (2026) 

Humphrey's Executor v. United States (1935) 

“Trump v. Slaughter: Another Win for Justice Scalia,” Michael Ramsey, The Originalism Blog, June 30, 2026 

Brief Amicus Curiae of Professor Jed Shugerman in Trump v. Slaughter 

“Supreme Court allows Trump to fire FTC member but not Fed director,” National Constitution Center’s Constitution Daily 

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